Catholic Dogmas - You Can't Be Catholic Without Them! Part 3

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JMJ

Here's my first attempt at a list of Dogma's crucial for today's crisis!

P^3

Tradicat: De Fide Teachings of the Catholic Church

1. Book 1: The Unity and Trinity of God
1. God, our Creator and Lord, can be known with certainty, by the natural light of reason from created things. 
1. The Vatican Council defined: If anybody says that the one true God. Our Creator and Lord cannot be known with certainty in the light of human reason by those things which have been made, ... " D 1806; cf. 1785, 1391.
2. There is only One God. * 
1. Most of the Symbols of Faith expressly teach the Umcity ofGod. The NiceneConstantinople Symbol declares: Credo in unum DeUlll. (I believe in one God) D 54, 86. "fhe 4th Lateran Council (1215) declares: Unus solus est verus Deus. (The true God is one alone) D 428: c£ 1782. Opposed to this basic Christian dogma are heathen polytheism, and gnostic-manichaean dualism which posit several eternal principles.
3. God is infinitely just.
1. According to the teaching of the Vatican Council God is "infinite in all perfection," therefore also in justice. D 1782.
2. Book 2: God the Creator
1. The first four are pretty clear. The world was created for God, not man (or woman), it has a distinct beginning (world can be taken to include all creation as God is the "Single Principle of all things (4th Lateran Council), God created the Adam, and both Adam and Eve committed the original sin.
1. The world was created for the Glorification of God. 
2. The world had a beginning in time. 
3. The First Man was created by God. 
4. Our First Parents in Paradise sinned grievously through transgression of the Divine probationary commandment. 
2. Souls who depart life in the state of original sin are excluded from the Beatific Vision. 
1.  General Councils of Lyons  (1274) and Florence (1438) taught that those who die in original sin as well as those who die in actual sin go immediately into hell, but their punishment is very different.  
2. Some distinctions that need to be made.  
1. The spiritual re-birth of young infants can be achieved in an extra·..sacramental manner through baptism by blood (c£ the baptism by blood of the children of Bethlehem). 
2. Other emergency means of baptism for children dying without sacramental baptism, such as prayer and desire of the parents or the Church (vicarious baptism of desire-Cajetan), or the attainment of the use of reason in the moment of death, so that the dying child can decide for or against God (baptism of desire-H. Klee), or suffering and death of the child as quasiSacrament (baptism of suffering-H. Schell), are indeed, possible, but their actuality cannot be proved from Revelation. C£ D 712. 
3.  Theologians usually assume that there is a special place or state for children dying without baptism which they call limbus puerorum (children's Limbo). Pope Pius VI adopted this view against the Synod of Pistoia. D IS26.
4. Conclusion: The 'desiring baptism for aborted babies' are nice thoughts, but there is nothing that can be done to prove them and in their absence we have to rely upon what the Catholic Church has authoritatively taught.  So wishful thinking doesn't cut it.
3. Book 3: The Doctrine of God the Redeemer
1. Jesus Christ is True God and True Son of God. * 
2. Mary was conceived without stain of original sin. 
3. Also after the Birth of Jesus Mary remained a virgin. * 
4. Book 4: The Doctrine of God the Sanctifier
1. Infallibility
1. In the final decision on doctrines concerning faith and morals the Church is infallible. 
2. The Pope is infallible when he speaks ex cathedra. 
3. The totality of the Bishops in infallible, when they, either assembled in general council or scattered over the earth, propose a teaching of faith and morals as one to be held by all the faithful. 
4. See this collection of articles: Series - Infallibility. The key element is that infallibility only applies when there is a definitive teaching of faith and mores that must be held by all the faithful.
2. Membership of the Church is necessary for all men for salvation. 
1. This one is particularly hard for some Catholics to handle. See Series - EENS for more info.
3. The Body and Blood of Jesus Christ are truly, really and substantially present in the Eucharist. 
4. For the worthy reception of the Eucharist the state of grace as well as the proper and pious disposition are necessary. 
5. The Holy mass is a true and proper Sacrifice. 
6. The Sacramental confession of sins is ordained by God and is necessary for salvation. 
7. Extreme Unction can be received only by the Faithful who are seriously ill. 
8. From the sacramental contract of marriage emerges the Bond of Marriage, which binds both marriage partners to a lifelong indivisible community of life. 
5. Book 5: The Doctrine of God the Consummator
1. The souls of the just which in the moment of death are free from all guilt of sin and punishment for sin, enter into Heaven. 
2. The souls of those who die in the condition of personal grievous sin enter Hell. 
3. The punishment of Hell lasts for all eternity.